A-Town Rumble raises more than $5K for diabetes research

Fifth annual A-Town Rumble, rally for moped and scooter operators, raises more than $5K for JDRF

By
Lauren Halligan, The Record

Saturday, July 12, 2014

MENANDS >> Dozens of scooter and moped operators from far and wide convereged on Menands Saturday to support juvenile diabetes research while riding in style on their two-wheeled contraptions.

In its fifth year, the A-Town Rumble raised more than $5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The event’s founder, Chuck Price of Menands, started the event three years after his son, Connor Price, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

The local father combined his love for riding with a philanthropic cause and found a way to make a difference.

At the time, “There were already a bunch of 5Ks and walks and all that stuff,” Price said. So, he decided to do something different for his son. He thought “Hey, what if I can take a hobby and turn it into a way to raise money for JDRF?”

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is an international organization which funds research to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. “The more we learn, the better the chance to fight and cure this disease,” Price said in a press release.

Scientists are also working on advances in the treatment until a cure can be found. One is an artificial pancreas, Price noted.

“They’re probably about 80 million dollars away from making that happen,” Price said. “So, every dollar helps.”

The first five rallies have raised more than $25,000.

“We expect it will be bigger and better this year,” Price said as participants registered prior to the ride. With 40 riders expected to participate, Price said: “As far as well can tell, this is the biggest scooter event in the Northeast.”

The rally rolled out from the Capital District Farmers Market at 11 a.m., led by Connor Price, now 15, doing laps around the parking lot on their scooters and mopeds. Next year, when he’s licensed to drive, the younger Price is excited to go out on the road with the group.

The urban ride sticks to a route with a 30-mph speed limit, so all classes of bikes can participate. Riders had a choice of taking a one- or two-hour ride. The full experience is a 27-mile trip, which weaves through Empire State Plaza and Washington Park, along the Hudson River, and passes through Albany Rural Cemetery and by the Cohoes Falls. Along the way, the group made stops at Mac’s Drive-In in Watervliet for ice cream, and President Chester Alan Arthur’s gravesite at Albany Rural Cemetery. “It’s a nice scenic route,” the elder Price said. The out-of-towners especially appreciated the tour of the area.

On their first visit to Albany, Doug and Priya Rhodes traveled in from Boston for the rally. Priya surprised her husband, a moped enthusiast, with tickets to the A-Town Rumble for their wedding anniversary.

“I loved that it was for a great cause, and I thought it would make the perfect anniversary present,” Priya Rhodes said. During their marriage, the couple has been to many moped events throughout the region. “Everyone’s just been so friendly. It’s a great community.”

For Laurel Tobaison, the A-Town Rumble was her first introduction to events of the sort. Hailing from Vermont, Tobaison is an avid scooter user and said she likes the camaraderie of these types of events.

“We wanted to meet other scooter riders and do something for charity,” Tobaison said. She hoped to network and create ties with other riders, because there isn’t the same culture in her area. “This is our first and probably not our last.”

Members of the Capital District Scooter Club came out as well, in support of their fellow riders’ purpose.

“The ultimate goal is to one day make sure that we’re raising money for another charity because Type 1 diabetes is cured,” Chuck Price said, hopeful for what JDRF’s researchers will discover in the future.

It’s a lot of work to organize such an event each year, but for Price, it’s worth it to get one step closer he said. And, he’s doing what he loves to get there.

“In the end, I have the opportunity to get all these guys and gals here to ride the scooters,” Price said, “which is really cool.”